Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1887-06-25
,BiG WITH HOLES.
BY EosE TERRY COOK. -

ofthe kitchen, knitting. 7he had a
-.,bt 10 sit there, or she paid her
board plnctually, having means
as to-, neighbors said.
What the Potters would have done
.,;thout her board to help them. they
could net think-now they had it
Vet before Mrs. Potter's Uncle Ebene-
rer died they had lived Just as many
o,ber peopIe live. Uncle Eben had
never helped his niece at all since ne
ave her a modest outfit and a hun
dred dollars in cash, when she married
Rowley Potter, q young fellow who
was tting good wages IN the great
rifle factory 1t d.
Louisa was pretty, capable, bright
rirl then: but that was twenty
wears ago. Vow she was
thin. saIIow, tretful woman. Pot
ter still worked in the "rihs shop as
they called it, but be had only a dol
lar a ilay more wages than when he
We married, and there We're four
Sbildren. Lofty. eighteen years old.
pretty, pert and VAN, worked in a
hosiery, store. Tom, sixteen, was in
nut-and-bolt shop; Idalla, girl OF
fourteen, was ''cash girl" in Holmes
& IIarper's great dry goods store.
Tom and Lofty paid their board.
"idy" clothed herself, she could get
bsgcains and remnants so cheap. when
.bs should be promoted into ''sales
lady" she would pay ike the others.
TbG fourth child, little Davy, was
only ten; he went to a public school.
When Aunt Pratt was left a widow
she made up her mind to sell the farm
and board somewhere; she had no
children, but she did haverhsumatism
enough TO tire her with its aches and
stiffness more than q family OF the |
noisiest boys and girls could have tir-
el her. The farm was a good one,
veil improved, the house and barns in |
thoroug gh repair, and there We're six /
cows and two horses, as we'll as plenty |
Of farming implements. She got S4,- |
500 for the whole. The neighbors |
said it was worth more; the buyer !
said it was worthless, so shrewd Aunt |
Pratt considered the price fair.
Then there was 81, 500 in Dalton
bank, the slow accu mutation OF but
ter and egg money and the sale OF |
poultry and calves; So, 900 in all. and |
every cent OF it her own. Squire Hart |
OF Dalton, VINO was executor of the |
will invested the money in safe ways
ct six per cent, and Mrs. Pratt |
began to look about her for a
nome She knew that Louisa Pot
ter had felt hurt about her Tn
cie Pratt's will; he only lett to her her
pandmother's mahogany furniture
and the savings bank book in which
no had deposited the profits made out
Of the Friesland hens and the white
heller calf she left in his hands when
she married-a sum amounting to
500 now.
but Lousia aud her husband had
expected more, and Mrs. Pratt was O.
Just woman, capable OF understanding
other peoples feelings so she did not
wonder. After much thought, and
without any suggestions from them,
sne proposed to come into III. and
Doard with Louisa. So they gave up
70 her Lotty's front bedroom. and |
put Lofty in with Ida; and as they
ccosed and ate in the same room
1nere they sat at evening, Aunt Pratt's
rocker, her footstool, her small round
lsoie and her work basket were es-
'aoiished In the sunny south window,
Vhere she could look down into the
street and up into the sky; for this
,snement was on a corner, and the
rctters had the third story fiat.
u was agreat change for Aunt Pratt,
,ut sne was q woman brought up in
ne old New England fashion TO do
vhat she perceived 20 be her duty.
'oweyer unpleasant and painful, with.
'us shrinking or complaint, and she
'ad made up her mind that it was her
luty to help the Potters.
She missed the fresh air of the farm
ne quiet OF her own house. the new
mix, the sweet butter, thepood bread.
'nt she said nothing as she sat dav
lter day, in her window knit
ing or mending, her big Bible
pen on the stand. and her thoughts
cry busy with the things around her
z We'll as with the things that are
lnove. For Aunt Pratt had made a
solution to leave her money IN tine
sey it would do her relatives the
nqst good and she must study them
,sa their customs before she could
nseover what that way was. She
con fonnd out that they were always
2 debt. Potter had good wages. Lot
ana Tom were off his hands, Ida
= "a only her board given her. and
,avy Was inheritor of Toms old
lo.nes !, and his fathers too. IL seem.
y 20 aunt Pratt that there must no
: ,eak somewhere that she did not |
discover at once. 'U
%, ahe was reading her Bible in course
,nu one day came upon a verse in the
..opnecy OF haegai that seemed to
p's'u tne situation to her and omen. ,
: ner eyes. The next,day Lottia 81 roa
9 sniYering; she had caught a seT-srs
DIG and huddled over the cooL S.o-,o
49, SpPea N an old shawl, couched and
,;Snea ~ and sighed and scolded All daN
:. aHas me was too hoarse to speak.
s.,.,,s se you got on your winter ao,
November. "' rra't' Tor it was
any 'sansls' Iguess not. I haven't
..wwAS, Lottyl9
thing p R'or folks can't have every
and tb.,. 81 got to have a winter suit.
the Bosrs @ was such a lovely one @ at